Tale Of Echo
by Jessamyn
Summary: Maria vents her emotions over a certain someone through song... (Original lyrics by me. - Maria/Max fic))


Title: Tale of Echo  
Author: Jessamyn (ladymagi@aol.com)  
Rating: PG -13  
Pairing: Maria/Max  
Improv #8: lilac -- amuse -- savor -- sky  
Disclaimer: All characters and settings belong to Katims, Metz, and Co.   
Spoiler: Up through 'Behind the Music' I guess.  
Note: 1) Sections bracketed by these {} are lyrics. 2) Sorry I can't convey the melody that's in my head to you. I guess the words will just have to stand alone by themselves.  
3) The myth of Echo is here.... http://www.storyarts.org/library/nutshell/stories/echo.html  
~~~~~*  
  
The music rose within her slowly. Taking calm and even breaths she let it rise and pool within her. She tasted each note on her tongue, savoring their nectar, before letting them fly. A melody echoed back to her ears, the quarry walls acting as a natural amphitheater, beautiful under a lilac sky. You could almost be your own backup singer here.  
  
Words were harder to form. At least not in coherent sentences. Lyrics were tricky like that, always coming at you from all sides but hard to pick out the good among all that other crap going on in your head. Trivial day to day matters that just wouldn't let you rest.  
  
Maria, table six needs more fries.  
Maria, honey, are you doing your homework?  
Maria, would you talk to Liz for me?  
  
She paused to take another deep breath, trying to dispel her distractions like so much carbon dioxide. The echoes faded to a quiet hush. The air seemed to be waiting in anticipation of what she would do next.  
  
{I'm feeling something close to delirious  
Of all the things I need- Are you serious?  
These days of confusion do leave me weak  
Pale as Echo  
Oh-oh, I'm living the tale of Echo  
Oh no, I'm living the tale of Echo...}  
  
She didn't really blame him, any of them, because their lives were a star-spun soap opera. The world *did* seem to revolve around them and all their alien drama. But sometimes it just made her want to scream!  
  
His faults were so clear to her but somehow it didn't matter. She still wanted him for herself. Did he even see her though? And if he did, would he care? Would he take it for granted thinking that she was just another satellite orbiting around that big head of his?  
  
Her lips twitched in amusement at the fantastical image; herself a little moon-faced woman, him with a planet-sized head stuck on an itty-bitty body, all floating out in space.  
  
{At first I tried hard to get away  
These lunatic thoughts - Just what are they?  
My heart, my head, they've sprung a leak  
Drowning in sorrow  
Oh-oh, I'm living the tale of Echo  
Oh no, I'm living the tale of Echo}  
  
In many ways, seeing Liz and Max together had been like suddenly walking into a fun house lined with mirrors. Slightly nauseating but with a strange fascination that kept her from walking away. She longed to prick one just to see the other bleed. Same place, opposite side.  
  
When they'd broken up the first time the fascination had been new enough that she'd strove to place them back together. But in the process she'd gotten closer to Max. Big mistake.  
  
{Sometimes I sit and dream for days  
Through good and bad- Together always?  
Not blinded by all the shiny surfaces you seek  
Proud Narcissus  
Oh-oh, I'm living the tale of Echo  
Oh no, I'm living the tale of Echo}  
  
Now that they were broken up again, she was secretly pleased. She'd already freed herself from the complicated dance she'd created with Michael. Tug and pull, twist and turn. It had all been an unconscious attempt at making him something he was not. And even though she'd succeeded to an extent, in the end, it hadn't been fair to either of them.  
  
{It's hard to know just what to do  
When every emotion- It belongs to you  
All I know, around you it's even hard to speak  
True as 'morrow  
Oh-oh, I'm living the tale of Echo  
Oh no, I'm living the tale of Echo}  
  
And so she waited.  
  
Because as much as she wanted him, as much as it killed her, if he didn't show some sign of loving her she wasn't about to throw all that she'd cultivated down the toilet. She wasn't *that* stupid. Her friendships with Liz, Max, and Michael were too important.   
  
She listened as the last echo faded to nothing.  
  



End file.
